Two die in Kitulgala boating accident

Two shipping company employees were drowned when their rafting boat met with an accident and capsized in the Kelani Ganga at Kalugotenna in Kitulgala last afternoon, Police said. The victims were identified as Varuni Kannangara (21) from Thalapathpitiya, Nugegoda and Ronnie Anton Roger (26) of Kotahena, Inspector of Police Jayanath Wanasinghe told The Sunday Times. They were among a group of 40 employees of New Asia Shipping Company at Liberty Plaza, Kollupitiya who had gone on a day trip to Kitulgala.

The group which arrived at the Kelani Valley plantation hotel had their lunch and some of the group members had left the hotel around 3.00 p.m. for rafting. Five of the employees had hired a raft with a guide and were cruising along the river in which the water level had risen by three feet during the past two days due to heavy rains upcountry.

The raft which travelled about 500 metres had got entangled in a rope which had been tied across the river to support construction workers moving goods in a barge. Eyewitnesses said that though the rope was above water level earlier, due to the heavy rains the rope was under water and the raft had got entangled in the rope and capsized.

Soon after the tragedy the villagers saved three of the employees while the body of Varuni was recovered with the raft. The search for the other body was abandoned last night due to bad weather conditions but will resume this morning. Eyewitnesses said that the water levels were high with the water rough and usually visitors do not engage in rafting in such conditions. Inspector Wanasinghe said the post-mortem on the body recovered will be held today while further investigations into the accident will be conducted.